DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4104#0018
THE CEMETERY.
Abydos, the place from which he leads the
souls of the departed to the mysterious land
of the west.
The jackal on the pedestal, Anubis, is the
one that prowls through the cemeteries at night,
eating the offerings from the tombs, and thus
becomes associated with the dead, and later
with the embalmed body and the processes of
embalming.
The workmanship of these amulets is ex-
cellent. Gold, electrum, and silver are used
with great skill; the cutting of the stone also
shows considerable ability, but hardly up to the
standard of the metal work. The two scarabs
are green felspar with silver setting.
19. The other tomb of particular interest is
of the XXth Dynasty. It was vaulted and
decorated with scenes and inscriptions, see
pis. xxvi-xxviii. Over the mud plaster a thin
coat of Avhite stucco had been laid, and the
decoration painted in black and red.
The chief scene is on the wall opposite the en-
trance (see pi. xxviii). The deceased, Hor-dedu-
ankh, is standing before Osiris. The great god
is seated on his throne. At his feet springs up
the lotus, on which are the sons of Horus, the
four genii of the dead. Behind him is his
sister-wife, Isis, with her hand raised; and
above all comes the red sun, in the boat on
which it floats along the celestial Nile.
Round the small entrance arch is the drawing
at the top of pi. xxvi. Here is the winged
beetle with the emblem of the rising sun Avhich
it rolls round its daily course; and below this,
the sacred cow of J sis on the left, and on the
right two of her girdle ties, and the emblem
of stability, the dad. At the bottom on either
side are the keepers of the gate, with the great
knife drawn.
The second scene shows the shrine of Osiris
with tAvo draAvings of the deceased, one on either
side, in the attitude of supplication. The one
on the right has before him a table of offerings
across Avhich has been placed the lotus. Within
the shrine is seated Osiris, Avith the lotus and
the genii of the dead. Behind him are his
sister-Avife Isis and his sister Nephthys (Nebhat),
and before him his son Horus. Behind the
figure of the deceased, standing on the left side
of the drawing, come the long lines of the
Negative Confession from the Booh of the Dead,
see plate xxvii.
On the Avest wall Avere two draAvings. The
smaller one seems to represent the boat of the
sun beino- draAvn alono- and behind it a sort of
barge on Avhich a number of gods are seated.
Behind this the deceased is kneeling for
admission.
The scene beloAV avos farther along the
same Avail and represents the judgment. The
deceased stands Avatching the Aveighing of his
heart, Anubis has placed it in the left pan of the
balance, and in the right pan he has placed
Maat, the goddess of Truth and Justice. Sin is
heavy ; should the heart sink, it is immediately
throAvn to the clevourer of hearts Avaiting at the
foot of the scales, the monster Amemt. To the
right stands Thoth ready to record for Osiris the
judgment.
Lastly, overhead extended the outstretched
figure of Nut, and just Avhere the spring of
the arch started came tAvo tAvisting serpents Avith
their mouths open.
The draAving of the figures is very conventional,
a result of carelessness and repeated copying.
The brickAvork on the other hand shoAved better
Avorkmanship ; the arch of the roof is particularly
good.
Against the west Avail lay the skeleton at full
length, one shoulder against the Avail, the other
resting on the ground. By the head Avere tAvo
pots. Beside it lay another body Avith a pile
of beads Avhere the head should have been.
The bones of both skeletons had been dis-
turbed to some extent and it Avas e\udent the
tomb had been plundered. The plunderer
had throAvn some of the things up to the
surface, Avhere one of the strings of beads,
Abydos, the place from which he leads the
souls of the departed to the mysterious land
of the west.
The jackal on the pedestal, Anubis, is the
one that prowls through the cemeteries at night,
eating the offerings from the tombs, and thus
becomes associated with the dead, and later
with the embalmed body and the processes of
embalming.
The workmanship of these amulets is ex-
cellent. Gold, electrum, and silver are used
with great skill; the cutting of the stone also
shows considerable ability, but hardly up to the
standard of the metal work. The two scarabs
are green felspar with silver setting.
19. The other tomb of particular interest is
of the XXth Dynasty. It was vaulted and
decorated with scenes and inscriptions, see
pis. xxvi-xxviii. Over the mud plaster a thin
coat of Avhite stucco had been laid, and the
decoration painted in black and red.
The chief scene is on the wall opposite the en-
trance (see pi. xxviii). The deceased, Hor-dedu-
ankh, is standing before Osiris. The great god
is seated on his throne. At his feet springs up
the lotus, on which are the sons of Horus, the
four genii of the dead. Behind him is his
sister-wife, Isis, with her hand raised; and
above all comes the red sun, in the boat on
which it floats along the celestial Nile.
Round the small entrance arch is the drawing
at the top of pi. xxvi. Here is the winged
beetle with the emblem of the rising sun Avhich
it rolls round its daily course; and below this,
the sacred cow of J sis on the left, and on the
right two of her girdle ties, and the emblem
of stability, the dad. At the bottom on either
side are the keepers of the gate, with the great
knife drawn.
The second scene shows the shrine of Osiris
with tAvo draAvings of the deceased, one on either
side, in the attitude of supplication. The one
on the right has before him a table of offerings
across Avhich has been placed the lotus. Within
the shrine is seated Osiris, Avith the lotus and
the genii of the dead. Behind him are his
sister-Avife Isis and his sister Nephthys (Nebhat),
and before him his son Horus. Behind the
figure of the deceased, standing on the left side
of the drawing, come the long lines of the
Negative Confession from the Booh of the Dead,
see plate xxvii.
On the Avest wall Avere two draAvings. The
smaller one seems to represent the boat of the
sun beino- draAvn alono- and behind it a sort of
barge on Avhich a number of gods are seated.
Behind this the deceased is kneeling for
admission.
The scene beloAV avos farther along the
same Avail and represents the judgment. The
deceased stands Avatching the Aveighing of his
heart, Anubis has placed it in the left pan of the
balance, and in the right pan he has placed
Maat, the goddess of Truth and Justice. Sin is
heavy ; should the heart sink, it is immediately
throAvn to the clevourer of hearts Avaiting at the
foot of the scales, the monster Amemt. To the
right stands Thoth ready to record for Osiris the
judgment.
Lastly, overhead extended the outstretched
figure of Nut, and just Avhere the spring of
the arch started came tAvo tAvisting serpents Avith
their mouths open.
The draAving of the figures is very conventional,
a result of carelessness and repeated copying.
The brickAvork on the other hand shoAved better
Avorkmanship ; the arch of the roof is particularly
good.
Against the west Avail lay the skeleton at full
length, one shoulder against the Avail, the other
resting on the ground. By the head Avere tAvo
pots. Beside it lay another body Avith a pile
of beads Avhere the head should have been.
The bones of both skeletons had been dis-
turbed to some extent and it Avas e\udent the
tomb had been plundered. The plunderer
had throAvn some of the things up to the
surface, Avhere one of the strings of beads,